The present invention relates to automotive weather stripping and, more particularly, to an improved glass run channel and/or belt weather stripping retaining system.
Weather stripping is used in the automotive industry to seal components such as windows, doors, trunks, engine compartments or the like. Generally, the weather stripping is secured to a flange projecting from the component which is to be sealed. Designers strive to design weather stripping which requires a minimal force to position the weather stripping onto the flange and requires a substantial resistive withdraw force to remove the weather stripping from the flange. Several different types of weather stripping retaining systems exist in the art.
Systems which exist in the field are illustrated by the following U.S. patents. The systems are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,896,632, issued Feb. 7, 1933 to Ledwinka; 2,695,191, issued Nov. 23, 1954 to Naughton, Jr.; 4,072,340, issued Feb. 7, 1978 to Morgan; 4,139,234, issued Feb. 13, 1979 to Morgan; 4,696,128, issued Sept. 29, 1987 to Fukuhara; Australian Patent No. 264,563; Dutch Patent No. 1,148,888; French Patent Nos. 626,648 and 2,384,655; and Japanese Patent No. 58-33520. It should be noted that the list of patents is not exhaustive of the different types of retaining systems that exist in the field.
Accordingly, the present invention provides the art with an improved glass run channel and belt weather stripping retaining system. The present invention provides a glass run channel or belt weather stripping system that is easily positioned onto a flange or the like. The weather stripping requires a substantial withdraw force to remove the weather stripping from the flange.
From the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the appended claims and drawings, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.